Air Force announces 2006 Weather Awards

WASHINGTON -- Air Force officials have released the 2006 Air Force Weather Awards.

Military recipients of individual or team awards are entitled to wear the Air Force Recognition Ribbon, and civilian recipients of individual and team awards are entitled to wear the Air Force Recognition Lapel Pin.

The Air Force Recognition Ribbon program does not apply to organizational awards.

Individual award winners are:

-- Air Force Weather Field Grade Officer of the Year: Maj. David Runge from Shaw Air Force Base, S.C.

-- Air Force Weather Company Grade Officer of the Year: 1st Lt. Angela Uribe-Olson from Creech AFB, Nev.

-- Air Force Weather Civilian of the Year: Robert Williams Jr. from Offutt AFB, Neb.

-- Air Force Weather Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year: Senior Master Sgt. Kirk Bailey from Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.

-- Air Force Weather Noncommissioned Officer of the Year: Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey Hall from McConnell AFB, Kan.

-- Air Force Weather Airman of the Year: Senior Airman Lawrence Harris II from Hurlburt Field, Fla.

-- Air Force Battlefield Weather Company Grade Officer of the Year: Capt. Steven Lipinski from Wheeler Army Air Field, Hawaii.

-- Air Force Battlefield Weather Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year: Master Sgt. Todd Grebel from Wheeler AAF.

-- Air Force Battlefield Weather Noncommissioned Officer of the Year: Staff Sgt. Gregory Spiker from Fort Lewis AIN, Wash.

-- Air Force Battlefield Weather Airman of the Year: Senior Airman Deanna Marks from Fort Lewis AIN.

-- Air Force Weather Staff Officer of the Year: Capt. Deborah Danyluk from Ramstein Air Base, Germany.

-- Air Force Weather Staff Enlisted Member of the Year: Senior Master Sgt. James Vinson from Fort McPherson, Ga.

-- Air Force Weather Staff Civilian of the Year: Stanley Tkach from Langley AFB, Va.

-- Air Reserve Component Weather Officer of the Year: 1st Lt. Christopher Higgins from Scott AFB, Ill.

-- Air Reserve Component Weather Enlisted Member of the Year: Master Sgt. Paul Montas from Langley AFB.

-- Outstanding Technical Achievement in Weather Operations: Air Force Combat Climatology Center Warfighter Integration Team composed of Maj. Dean Carter, Maj. Ken Cloys, Maj. Jim Everitt, Tom Elio, Capt. Scott Miller, Capt. Darren Sokol, and Capt. Dan Wunder from Asheville, N.C.

Organizational award winners are:

-- Outstanding Operational Weather Squadron: 17th Operational Weather Squadron at Hickam AFB, Hawaii.

-- Outstanding Battlefield Weather Squadron: 10th Combat Weather Squadron at Hurlburt Field.

-- Outstanding Specialized Weather Support Unit: Tanker Airlift Control Center Weather Directorate at Scott AFB.

-- Outstanding Air Force Weather Organization (Below Squadron Level): 757th OSS/OSW at Creech AFB.

-- Outstanding Air Reserve Component Weather Flight: 107th Weather Flight at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich.